of stains by going below the enamel surface. and, they whiten 25 times better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest whitestrips. life opens up when you do. have a question? today," fired up. former president bill clinton makes a spirited case for president obama's re-election. demolition dust-up. spectators discriminatable when a cloud of dust shifts their way after a building demolition in france. and lucky ducks. heart-stopping videos shows a family of ducks' treacherous trip across a busy highway. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and good morning. i'm lynn berry. and today we begin with a rousing defense. former president bill clinton was greeted like a rock star

last night at the deck crammic national convention. answered accusations launched at last week's republican convention. nbc's tracie potts is live for us in charlotte. she has more on this. good morning. >> lynn, good morning. last night he was right here explaining why he thinks the current president needs four more years. the democrats' most popular living president, bill clinton, making the case to re-elect barack obama. >> no one could have fully repaired all the damage he had found in just four years. >> defending health reform -- >> are we better off because president obama fought for health care reform? you bet we are. >> he attacked what he called lies about medicare cuts and welfare reforms and condemned

mitt romney's plan to reduce the debt and boost the economy. >> we simply cannot afford to give the reigns of government to someone who will double down on trickle-down. >> on an official state by state vote, obama was over the top. >> 188 votes for the president and next president of the united states, barack obama. >> in a surprise appearance president obama joined clinton on stage. vice president biden did a late night walk-through. his speech and all today's convenients move inside this. severe weather dampening the democrats' final day. and we're still waiting to see what changes may happen here as a result of all of that, trying to now accommodate as many as they possibly can. thousands more people than this arena can hold. lynn? >> all right.

tracie potts for us there in charlotte. trac tracie, thank you. the secret service says it is investigating the reported theft of mitt romney's income tax returns. the tax documents were allegedly stolen from an accounting office in tennessee. an anonymous letter to romney's accountants asked for $1 million. they say there's no evidence that anything was taken. romney has refused to make public more than two years of his taxes. a fwed real judge in arizona has cleared the way for the most contention of the arizona immigration law. on wednesday a u.s. district court judge refused to ban the so-called "show me your papers" provision which requires police while enforcing other laws to question the status of immigrants they suspect being in the country illegally. the rise in the attack of u.s. service members in afghanistan has called for the

removal of hundreds of afghan soldiers. they're complicating plans to train afghan soldiers before the troops withdraw in 2014. they recently stopped training about 1,000 members as a result of the rise in insider violence. so far this year 45 international service members have been killed, most of them americans. and now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in hawaii, just horrific video that was released, and it shows a deadly jed ski collision last year. it's tough to watch. the 20-year-old australian man at the control pleaded no contest to nemgt homicide charges. and on wednesday a judge freed him based on time already served. investigators say the man had been distracted watching his girlfriend shoot video from the shore. in new jersey video from a police car camera shows officers saving an 86-year-old man from a

burning wreckage of the car. the officers can be seen dragging the victim to safety after risking their own lives to free him. one suffered second-degree burns. the man had apparently suffered a medical condition. he's now recovering. >> in louisiana, humans are not the only victims of hurricane isaac. about a thousand head of cattle are stranded in the lower plaquemines parish. efforts are being made to round up the herd. more than a hundred have already been shipped out of the area. and finally in florida there is a massive invasion of giant african snails. that is disgusting. more than 78,000 have already been scooped up. they can grow up to 8 inches and can eat more than 500 different plants. along with the stucco on the side of homes. that's no good. authorities say it could take years to stop the snails. and now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's nbc meteorologist bill karins. he has your weather channel forecast. >> that's a new one.

>> eskergo for you this morning, bill. >> they eat the sides of houses? >> who knew. i know. they're 8 inches long. that could pose a teeny bit of a problem. >> i wonder if your homeowner's policy covers that. good morning everyone. this is the peak of the storm. we have two hurricanes out there, hurricane michael which is harmlessly out in the open of the mid-atlantic but could become a dangerous hurricane later today and then we have leslie. this is the one we've been tracking over the last couple of days south of bermuda. this is the one we'll have to watch impacting bermuda and the canadian maritime over the next five days. as far as the east coast goes, we're actually safe from leslie. the cold front that's heading off the coast will keep this storm off to our east, but it will grow potentially if the category 2 hurricane. it's going to send huge waves to the east coast. it looks like monday will be the closest it will get to cape

maine. it could cross through the canadian maritime. it will be in a weakening state but they still have to prepare. the other thing we have to watch for is possible tropical trouble in the gulf. slow development is possible off the louisiana coastline. it's not where we want to see anything that. would be very slow development. so the forecast for today, very hot in texas once again. a few storms around kansas city and missouri and also right through the carolinas and atlanta. that's a look at your national forecast. now here's a look at the weather outside your window. showers and thunderstorms a good possibility today for areas like raleigh and durham all the w. humidity levels are high from washington through the southeast. looks like temperatures are really going to come down, especially in texas over the weekend. good news. they need it. >> yeah. some much needed relief. bills, thanks. coming up, euro stimulus fever, a new phone gets no buzz

and shes with soul make legal history. your early morning business headlines are straight ahead. plus kim lays down the law. what kim kardashian reportedly says will have to happen before she'll mary kanye. coming up, a hit parade in our nation's capitol, the end of the line for andy roddick, and the cowboys knock out the champs. you're watching "early today."

good morning and welcome back to "early today." i'm lynn berry, and here are some of your top headlines this morning. two people were killed in a powerful earthquake that shook costa rica. registered p.6 causing damage. in france it took seconds for the demolition of a 14-story structure in a paris suburb. the crowd got a surprise when the wind shifted and it carried thick dust in their direction

sending many running. >> in russia, endangered cranes got a helping had from russian president vladimir putin. he wore a baggy white suit and helmet in a light airplane to lead the cranes on their migration route. and a camera shows dugs. they dodged cars and they waited for trucks to pass and some of the ducklings were even sent flying when the vehicles got too close. after a heart-stopping trip that took more than a minute, they miraculously arrived safely on the other side. and now here's an early look at how wall street's going to kick off the day. the dow closet closed at 13,047. the s&p was down a point the nasdaq lost five. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, in tokyo the nikkei was up a fraction while in hog congress the hang seng gained 64.

ahead of today's crucial european central bank meeting, investors held off on any big moves wednesday. zpekation european policy makers will intree deuce a borrowing plan. it may have boosted optimism, but still wasn't enough to get anyone to buy stocks. the euro traded just off its two-month high against the dollar in anticipation of the ecb plan. stocks opened lower with both fedex and ups falling after fedex cut its quarterly profit outlike late tuesday due to global weakness. nokia and microsoft unveiled their most powerful phone wednesday. moving to soothe nervous investors, facebook rebounded almost 5% off an all-time low after the company promised not to sell stock to cover a nearly $2 billion tax bill. moving to soothe its own staff,

facebook also said it will allow employees to cash in their stocks weeks ahead of schedule. mens warehouse quarterly results narrowly beat estimates thanks to its strong demand of the tuxedo unit. elsewhere companies got more productivity from their workers this spring than the government originally estimated. a world economic foreign survey found the u.s. ability to compete on the global business stage has fallen for a fourth straight year. and finally a big ruling in fashion business and the law. an appeals court has ruled the bright red souls on frenchwear designer christian louboutin high-heeled shoes are so distinctive, they deserve protecti protection. coming up a nationals slugfest, the a's get nail and the u.s. tennis quarter open finals. plus the cowboyses upset the reigning champions in last night's season opener. your early morning sports

headlines are straight ahead. and we're finally forecasts some changes in the middle of the country. we're going to get rid of those hot temperatures. that's coming up. you're watching "early today." what's more beautiful than a covergirl?

two covergirls! that's right, get two miracles in one product. covergirl makeup, and olay advanced hydrating serum. it's tone rehab 2-in-1 foundation. one pump, covers spots, lines, and wrinkles. and one bottle helps improve skin tone over time. that's what i was supposed to say now.

well, no one can understand you. ♪ tone rehab 2-in-1 foundation from easy -- breezy -- beautiful... covergirl! covergirl! and try new pressed powder to help brighten your skin tone. good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." and in sports the dallas cowboys

upset the defending champions last night in the nfl season opener. here's nbc's fred roggin with an early look at all your sports headlines. good morning. the nfl kicked off the regular season last night, but the super bowl champs were late to the dance. we go to new york. phil simms and other giants greats on hands. tony romo and the cowboys crashed that party in the second quarter. dallas was up p-3 at the half. we go the third. more ogletree, please. romo, 40 yards to his new favorite receiver. the champs were on the ropes. then in the fourth, on first and 30, no problem for romo. he hauled it down and went 34 to the house. giants scored late, but it didn't matter. the cowboys foiled the champs' night with a 24-17 win. the ten is open was the end for andy roddick. rode off into the sunset. he won and then the argentine

slowly took over. matchpoint after a short rally. roddick's return was long. an emotional end for one of the greatest american tennis players with his wife looking on and he struggled the hold back the tears. he ended his career on the same court where he won his only grand slam in 2003. serena williams advanced with a straight set win. scary moment in baseball. happened in the a's game. hit in the side of the head by a come-backer. immediately went down. he was dazed and confused. mccarthy sat on the grass for several minutes, left the game, taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons. he's all right but he's going to have a huge headache in the morni morning. the angels won it, 7-1. the nationals belted six home runs tuesday, another six yesterday. bryce harper with a pair. the nats, deep six, the cubs, 9-1. that's your early look at sports on "early today." i'm fred roggin.

why britney spears can't be like kim kardashian, and the actress whose driving record is giving lindsay lohan a run for her money. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. plus, it's all happening at the democratic national convention but it's not all taking place inside the arena. you're watching "early today."

welcome back to "early today." we're watching incredible heat

continuing for two more days in texas and then we're going to give you a break over the weekend. hold out. two more days in the ac. 100 degrees today in dallas. we're seeing showers and thunderstorms cooling off. still pretty warm and humid around d.c. the next couple of days and you'll notice the cooler temperatures. they invade areas like minnesota come tomorrow. texas, you've gotten to wait until saturday. well, if you're watching us on nbc 5 learn how design solutions can change drought-stricken land at design by the gallon. that's your "early today" event of the day lynn. and now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. britney spears said she couldn't be kim kardashian. she told "elle" she won't put up with looking glamorous. she said it's hard to be makeup and hair-ready every time she goes out of the house. that makes sense. >> i agree.

>> i know. don't you hate that? speaking of kardashian, "ok" magazine report she's giving kanye west an ultimatum. she said she wouldn't marry him until she's worth $50 million. she's worth $38 million. well, kardashian's ex- kris humphries is being accused of having an affair while being married and passing on a sexually transmitted disease. humphr humphrey's lawyer's denying the allegation. >> and finally amanda bines will face charges for not one but two hit-and-run accidents. that's in addition to a charge a after she sideswiped a police car in april. this comes to us from south

carolina where the best show may not be inside the halls of the national democratic convention but outside. traffic officers had decided to get a little creative showing off their moves. they're literally dancing to the beat of the streets as they get local commuters on their way. it includes videos to michael jackson's music video and swiveling their hips. >> you've got to be careful when you invite people from georgia. >> something dipped in their sweet tea they brought up from georgia, don't you think? i don't know. at least they're having fun. >> i love people from georgia. >> i'm lynn berry, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day, today on your nbc station.

>> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 5:00 a.m. >> good morning. we have some sprinkle activity in some neighborhoods to starts the day. you can see a little bit on hd doppler. heavier around cambridge. around baltimore, sprinkles. a mixture of sun and clouds. 30 chance for a light shower with highs in the upper 80's. when we come back, we'll check the forecast through the weekend. >> 74 degrees on tv hill.

>> state officials are taking action to protect residents from the west nile virus. >> charismatic clinton. the message from the former president is driving the day. >> we have an accident in darlington that happened earlier low detergent gasoline. the car on the right was filled up with bp gasoline with invigorate. which helps clean and protect its engine so it can get a few more miles per tank than the car on the left.

go a little farther with bp gasoline with invigorate. now you have the power to lower gas prices with the bp visa with pump rewards. apply at choosebp.com so let's talk about coverage. based on this chart, who would you choose ? wow. you guys take a minute. verizon, hands down. i'm going to show you guys another chart. pretty obvious. i don't think color matters. pretty obvious. what's pretty obvious about it ? that verizon has the coverage. verizon. verizon. we're going to go to another chart. it doesn't really matter how you present it. it doesn't matter how you present it. verizon. more 4g lte coverage than all other networks combined.

[captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 5:00 a.m. >> good morning. i'm mindy basara. >> and i'm stan stovall. thanks for joining us for 11 news today. >> will it be a little less humid today? >> next week, there will be a >> next week, there will be a taste of autumn